585 Main St.
Chatham, NJ 07928
Phone: (973) 701-7777
Keeping Our Patients Safe

Keeping Our Patients Safe

Dear Friends:
I am excited to announce that we are being allowed to see patients again. We will be opening on Weds. June 3rd. We have made improvements to keep you and the staff safe. We would like to ease your concerns about coming to the office.

Click here for our  new office safety protocol

© All photographs on this site are of Dr. Allyson K. hurley's patients and represent her work and her photography.

Archives for September 2014

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I just turned 16. After 2 years of wearing braces, I still hate my teeth. I give up. How old do I have to be to get porcelain veneers? – Jazlyn C.

Jazlyn – You can receive veneers as a teenager, but most dentists will probably advise you to wait until your jawbone growth is complete. If you receive veneers before the growth is complete, they will begin to recede at your gumline, and it will be quite noticeable. At that point, you will probably want the veneers replaced.

A single veneer can cost almost $1000—or more, depending on where you live in the country and the skill of the dentist doing the work. Eight veneers are required to cover the upper teeth that show when you smile. So you have to consider if you really want veneers at this point, when you may need to replace them in a few years.

We recommend that you visit a skilled cosmetic dentist. Let the dentist know what you don’t like about your smile. Is it the shape, color, or some other feature? It may be that teeth whitening and/or teeth contouring (reshaping) are all that is needed to enhance your smile. A cosmetic dentist will listen to your goals for your smile, let you know your options, and let you know the right time to do it, based on when your jawbone and teeth are sufficiently developed.

This post is sponsored by top NJ dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

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A job transfer moved us from Long Island to Jersey 2 years ago. I finally found a pediatric dentist that I thought I liked until 2 of our kids got cavities. The dentist wants to use silver fillings and I don’t want my kids to have them. I could swear that I asked about this before we chose her as our dentist, but she doesn’t remember the conversation. The dentist doesn’t use white fillings at all. She says it’s a waste on children because they probably won’t be still for her to get it right. I am really against this because of the mercury in the silver fillings. Any suggestions on what I can do now to convince her? – Sydnee

Sydnee – If your children’s dentist doesn’t use white composite fillings at all, you probably won’t be able to convince her to do so for your children. Even on adults, correctly placing composite fillings requires skill and experience.

In order to correctly place a white filling, the tooth must be kept dry. The composite has to be properly applied and hardened so that it will remain bonded to the tooth. Since your pediatric dentist doesn’t use white fillings, this is experience that she lacks, so you may not get white fillings that last for your children’s teeth.

If you are insisting on composite fillings for your children, you can ask your own dentist if he or she accepts children as patients. If not, you can find a pediatric dentist who uses composite fillings, or a family dentist who places them for children.

This post is sponsored by top NJ dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley